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Alexis Lafreniere

Prospect Notes: 2020 Draft, Reinhart, WHL

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It may only be August, but The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler is already hard at work evaluating next June’s draft class. The 2020 Draft promises to be chock full of talent, with Wheeler calling it more impressive than the most recent draft class and deeper at the top. In fact, he believes it could be the strongest class since 2015, which produced superstars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen, Jake Debrusk, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Thomas Chabot in the top 20 picks alone. Also unlike recent drafts, Wheeler feels the 2020 class will be deeper at forward than defense and will be lacking impact American prospects, with the scout failing to see a U.S. product even enter the conversation as a top-ten pick. So who might be in contention for one of those elite slots? Canadian forward Alexis Lafreniere has long been considered the presumptive top pick and finds himself at No. 1 on Wheeler’s initial draft board as well. However, Swedish forwards Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz could push him for that top spot. College-bound Dylan Holloway is an interesting name to watch as a top-ten candidate, as is Wheeler’s highest-ranked defenseman, Jamie Drysdale. Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov also intrigues Wheeler; he feels the Russian keeper could be the best goalie prospect of this decade. Plenty could change in the ten months still to come before the 2020 Draft, but it never hurts to get a head start on researching who your team could be eyeing next year.

  • Unsurprisingly lost in the shuffle of an off-season that has left many major names unsigned is a former top NHL prospect in Griffin Reinhart. NHL teams have been tantalized by Reinhart’s upside seemingly forever without any real results to show for it, but it seems that luck has finally run out. The fourth overall pick in 2012 by the New York Islanders, Reinhart recorded one lone point in eight NHL games in his first pro season before the Edmonton Oilers traded a first- and second-round pick for him. He proceeded to score just one more point in 29 games over two seasons in Edmonton before being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft. In two years in Vegas, he did not see any NHL action and became a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. Reinhart received the benefit of the doubt for many years, but it seems no longer, as there has been practically no talk of the young defenseman this summer.
  • The WHL is headed outdoors for just the third time in league history. Sportsnet reports that the Regina Pats will host the Calgary Hitmen in an outdoor game this season on October 27th. The game will take place at Mosaic Stadium in Saskatchewan just one day after the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames square off there for the NHL’s Heritage Classic. The last WHL outdoor game took place back in 2011 and was another Pats-Hitmen contest, again coinciding with the Heritage Classic.

Snapshots: 2020 Draft, Williams, Capitals

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The 2020 draft is shaping up to have some incredible talents available, and Craig Button of TSN shared some of his thoughts on the most impressive young players today. In fact, Button believes that there are six different players who could all challenge for first overall, a spot that has had Alexis Lafreniere penciled in for years. Button lists Hendrix Lapierre, Quinton Byfield, Cole Perfetti, Lucas Raymond and Yaroslav Askarov as the other top prospects and reveals some of his scouting takes on each one.

Not surprisingly, that group were some of the standouts at the recent Hlinka-Gretzky tournament that ended in a gold medal for Team Russia. Askaraov, the young Russian goaltender who has been dubbed the next great net prospect, stood on his head in the gold medal game leading Russia to a 3-2 victory despite being outshot 37-13. With so much talent at the top of the draft you can bet bubble teams will be hesitant to give up first round picks that could give them a chance at the draft lottery next year.

  • Justin Williams still hasn’t decided whether he is coming back for another season, GM Don Waddell explained to reporters today including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Williams came second to Joe Thornton in our recent poll about veteran free agents and would be a big addition if he decides to return for the Carolina Hurricanes this season. The 37-year old scored 23 goals and 53 points last season and was his usual excellent self in the postseason.
  • With several NCAA players about to become unrestricted free agents, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic gives us updates on the two that currently belong to the Washington Capitals. Chase Priskie was never expected to sign, but Steven Spinner will also not get a contract and will become a UFA at the end of the week. Spinner played four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha but saw his offense completely dry up in 2018-19 when he scored just four points in 29 games. He still received a tryout with the Hershey Bears at the end of the year, but won’t be getting an NHL contract.

Snapshots: WJSS Top Performers, Compher, Stralman

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The World Junior Summer Showcase just ended and there were plenty of highlights and impressive performances among all the countries that participated. While there were many top performers, NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman picks out 10 players who stood out at the WJSS, putting quite a bit of emphasis on the play of Montreal Canadiens and U.S. prospect Cole Caufield, who tied for the WJSS lead with four goals and seven points, including three highlight-reel goals in each of his final three games. Early indications might suggest that the Canadiens may have gotten a steal with the 15th pick in this year’s draft after slipping a bit because of his size (5-foot-7).

While a number of first-round picks from both the 2018 and 2019 drafts are mentioned in his top 10, three players from the incoming 2020 draft were also on his list, including projected top pick Alexis Lafreniere as well as Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond, both who are considered potential top-10 picks next season and were considered to be some of the most gifted forwards on Sweden’s team.

The only non-first-rounder mentioned in his top 10 was forward Sampo Ranta, a fourth-round pick in 2018 by the Colorado Avalanche. Raanta was the final player to get cut from last year’s Finnish WJC gold medal team and scored four goals and six points for Finland last week. He will return to the University of Minnesota, but could be a top prospect for the Avalanche to keep an eye on.

  • Speaking of the Avalanche, the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers writes that trainer Ian Mack, who is known for helping Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane last summer have a career-high 110-point season last year, is working with a number of prospects, including Colorado Avalanche forward J.T. Compher. The 24-year-old forward has yet to have that breakout season the team has been waiting for since the team acquired him in the Ryan O’Reilly trade in 2015. A second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres back in 2013, Compher finished last year with 16 goals, but is hoping that Mack will get him to another level after he signed a four-year, $14MM extension this summer. “I worked out with him for a full month before I got on the ice,” Compher said. “Once I got back on the ice, I felt more explosive and better on my lateral movements — and even better on my edges. I can move quicker.”
  • In a Q&A with new Florida Panthers defenseman Anton Stralman, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that the blueliner claims to be healthy after an injury-plagued year with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Stralman, who had surgery in May on both sides to correct a sports hernia injury that he tried to ignore, but was forced to sit out some time at the end of the season last year. Stralman finished the season playing just 47 games last year and only appeared in two games after March 5. He hopes he can make a difference with the Panthers defense after signing a three-year, $16.5MM deal this summer.

 

 

World Junior Summer Showcase Schedule

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While the hockey world waits for NHL training camps in a few months, draft gurus and prospect evaluators everywhere are getting ready to tune in to the World Junior Summer Showcase that starts this evening in Plymouth, Michigan. The two Team USA squads will take on each other and teams from Sweden and Finland before joining forces and taking on the rival Canadians. The full schedule is as follows:

All times central

July 26:

USA Blue vs USA White – 4:30pm

July 27:

USA White vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA Blue vs Sweden – 3:00pm

July 28:

USA Blue vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA White vs Sweden – 3:00pm

July 30:

Canada vs USA – 3:00pm

July 31:

Canada vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA vs Sweden – 3:00pm

August 2:

Sweden vs Canada – 12:00pm
Finland vs USA – 3:00pm

August 3:

Sweden vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA vs Canada – 3:00pm

This tournament will help the respective programs prepare for the next IIHF World Junior Championship which will be held in the Czech Republic starting on December 26th. It is also a great chance for players who were just drafted or aren’t eligible until next year to show off their skills to NHL fans that might have missed them so far. Several first round selections like Cole Caufield, John Beecher, Alex Turcotte and Cam York will be suiting up for the Blue squad, while the White team has Matthew Boldy, Trevor Zegras and returning players like Oliver Wahlstrom and K’Andre Miller.

There will also be plenty of attention placed on Canada’s roster, as potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere is set to suit up. The 17-year old had 105 points for the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL last season and is one of the players that you never want to take your eyes off of. If you want to know more about the future of Swedish hockey pay close attention to Lucas Raymond, who played ten games in the SHL last season despite only turning 17 in March. Raymond and teammate Alexander Holtz are both in early contention for the second overall pick, though there is still a long way to go before any decisions are made.

Hockey Canada Announces Invitees For 2019 Junior Development Camp

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Hockey Canada has announced their 43-man roster for the 2019 National Junior Team Development Camp, the first step towards participating at the next World Junior tournament. GM Mark Hunter and head coach Dale Hunter will be evaluating all 43 players over a four-game stretch in Plymouth, Michigan between July 27-August 4 where they will take on a team from the United States as well as Finland and Sweden. Team Canada will be broken into two teams for the short showcase.

The list of players includes many already drafted names, but also some that are available this weekend or even next June in the 2020 Entry Draft. The full group is listed below:

G Colten Ellis (2019 draft eligible)
G Zachary Emond (SJS)
G Alexis Gravel (CHI, unsigned)
G Hunter Jones (2019 draft eligible)
G Olivier Rodrigue (EDM)

D Calen Addison (PIT)
D Kevin Bahl (ARI)
D Justin Barron (2020 draft eligible)
D Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT, unsigned)
D Bowen Byram (2019 draft eligible)
D Peter Diliberatore (VGK, unsigned)
D Noah Dobson (NYI)
D Thomas Harley (2019 draft eligible)
D Braden Schneider (2020 draft eligible)
D Ty Smith (NJD)
D Jonny Tychonick (OTT, unsigned)
D Jett Woo (VAN)

F Luka Burzan (2019 draft eligible)
F Dylan Cozens (2019 draft eligible)
F Kirby Dach (2019 draft eligible)
F Riley Damiani (DAL)
F Ty Dellandrea (DAL)
F Aidan Dudas (LAK, unsigned)
F Carson Focht (2019 draft eligible)
F Cole Fonstad (MTL, unsigned)
F Nolan Foote (2019 draft eligible)
F Gabriel Fortier (TBL)
F Liam Foudy (CBJ)
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx (ANA, unsigned)
F Barrett Hayton (ARI)
F Mathias Laferriere (STL, unsigned)
F Alexis Lafreniere (2020 draft eligible)
F Raphael Lavoie (2019 draft eligible)
F Jack McBain (MIN, unsigned)
F Allan McShane (MTL, unsigned)
F Alex Newhook (2019 draft eligible)
F Serron Noel (FLA)
F Ryan Suzuki (2019 draft eligible)
F Akil Thomas (LAK)
F Philip Tomasino (2019 draft eligible)
F Joe Veleno (DET)

CHL Announces Top Player Awards for 2018-19

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Just one year after being named the CHL Rookie of the Year, QMJHL’s Alexis Lafreniere of Rimouski Oceanic, took another huge leap in his development as the 17-year-old was named the Sportsnet’s Player of the Year after the CHL released its top award winners Saturday.

Lafrieniere, who is considered to be the leading candidate to be the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, scored 42 goals as a 16-year-old to garner Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18 and while his goal totals dropped to 37 this season, his playmaking skills took off. Lafreniere tallied 68 assists and 105 total points and then took his game to another level in the playoffs when he scored nine goals and 23 points in 13 games. Tampa Bay prospect Alex Barre-Boulet was the 2017-18 winner, at the age of 21. Lafreniere beat two other key players, including the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks’ Joachim Blichfeld and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.

Defenseman Ty Smith was named the Superstore Defenceman of the Year. The 19-year-old, who will likely take the ice with the New Jersey Devils next season, posted seven goals and 69 points in 57 games this season for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. Ian Scott of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders won the Vaughn Goaltender of the Year Award. He put up 38 wins, posting a 1.78 GAA and a .932 save percentage. The 20-year-old goaltender is a product of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rookie Quinton Byfield of the Sudbury Wolves walked away with the Wawanesa Rookie of the Year Award after scoring 29 goals and 61 points in 64 games.

Here is a list of all the CHL award winners:

Player of the Year: Alexis Lafreniere
Defenseman of the Year: Ty Smith
Goaltender of the Year: Ian Scott
Rookie of the Year: Quinton Byfield
Coach of the Year: Mario Pouliot
Scholastic Player of the Year: Dustin Wolf
Humanitarian of the Year: Charle-Edouard D’Astous
Sportsman of the Year: Justin Almeida
Top Scorer: Jason Robertson
Top Prospect of Year: Bowen Byram

 

 

Swedish Forwards To Crowd Top Of 2020 NHL Draft

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While the majority of the attention at the ongoing U-18 World Junior Championships is on this year’s NHL Draft-eligible talent, Team Sweden is quietly displaying a pair of elite forwards who will very much be in the spotlight at this time next year. Top 2020 draft prospects Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond have each notched three points through four games at the tournament, continuing their success from the Swedish junior season. While Canadians Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield have long been considered the best prospects in the 2020 class, Holtz, Raymond, and fellow Swede forward Noel Gunler are closing in.

Holtz may have the highest ceiling of the Swedish trio due to his natural goal-scoring ability. Holtz led Sweden’s top U-18 junior league in goals and shared the lead in points in 2017-18 while playing in just 13 of a possible 18 games. This past year, he led the top U-20 league, the SuperElit, with 30 goals in 38 games and was sixth in overall scoring with 47 points. Holtz plays with supreme offensive ability, pairing his great vision with deadly offensive instincts. His shot will likely be considered among the best in the draft class, as it packs a quick release with high-end power.  The next step for Holtz will be to take on a regular role in the SHL next season, after being held scoreless in just three big league games this year.

Raymond, who didn’t turn 17 until last month, has been right alongside Holtz the whole way. In 2017-18, it was Raymond who finished tied with Holtz atop the U-18 scoring ranks and this past season he finished one point ahead of Holtz for fourth overall in points, while also finishing second in assists in the SuperElit. Raymond is smaller than Holtz, but there are very few other holes to his game. The Frolunda phenom plays with just as much skill as Holtz and has a more well-rounded game as a tough two-way competitor. He may not have the same eye for the net, but plays with great vision and puck-moving ability. Raymond played in ten SHL games this season, but was limited to just two points. Showing that his size will not be a hindrance to his professional play will be a major point of emphasis next season.

Lastly, there is Gunler, who hasn’t received as much early praise as Holtz and Raymond, but is just as much a threat to crack the top-five in 2020. Gunler is slightly older than the others and it shows in both his mature build and playing style. Gunler jumped to the SuperElit a year ahead of Holtz and Raymond and put up good numbers, but in 2018-19 he finished right alongside them among the league leaders. Gunler’s 46 points were one less than Holtz and his 27 goals were good enough for third in the league. Yet, Gunler accomplished those tasks in just 31 games and was in fact the league leader in per-game production. On top of that, he played in a whopping 15 SHL games with Lulea, recording five points, while Holtz and Raymond combined for two points in 13 games. While Gunler’s skill isn’t quite on the same level as the others, Gunler plays with equal offensive instincts and has shown that his game can translate to the top level.

The 2020 NHL Draft is still a long ways away, with a whole class of prospects still yet to be drafted this June before the attention really even shifts to next year’s crop. Yet, Holtz, Raymond, and Gunler have already done enough to garner substantial attention regardless. The trio will do their best to continue their dominating ways in the SHL next season and to unset Lafreniere and Byfield as the presumptive 1-2 punch of the 2020 class. Consider this a preview of what will be an ongoing story through next season, as Sweden’s elite young forwards look to crowd the top of the draft board.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Thompson, Lafreniere, Maple Leafs

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The San Jose Sharks got some good news regarding the status of star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who will miss his second straight game Sunday with a strained groin. Head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed that Karlsson is suffering from the same strained groin injury that kept him out for nine straight games in January and February. However, the injury won’t require surgery, according to NHL.com’s Eric Gilmore.

“It’s a version of the same injury,” DeBoer said after receiving the latest medical test results on the 28-year-old defenseman. “I don’t anticipate it being long term. No surgery, nothing like that. But we’re going to be obviously extra cautious and make sure.”

Karlsson is a key piece to the Sharks’ success this year as they try to overtake the Calgary Flames for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Karlsson has three goals and 45 points in 52 games, but has only played four games since Jan. 16. He re-injured his groin on Feb. 23 against Columbus. DeBoer said that all Karlsson needs is time, but there is no timetable on how long he’ll be out.

Five Key Stories: 2/11/19 – 2/17/19

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With the trade deadline now just over a week away, activity has started to pick up around the NHL.  Rumors of major trades continue, but so far just a few deals have been completed.

Lafreniere To Stay In CHL: Potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere set the record straight after rumors were circulating that the 17-year-old may opt to sign a contract overseas and follow the footsteps of Auston Matthews who played his draft year in the Swiss NLA. Lafreniere’s agent, Momentum Hockey Agency, released a statement making it clear that while the young talent did look into playing overseas, he and his family decided to stay in the CHL with Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL where he’s played the last two years, having totaled 74 goals and 172 points in 110 games. At 6-foot-1, he already has the size and proven ability to play in a professional league, but he will stay put for one more year.

Pastrnak, Maatta Injured: The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins each took a hit to their team when each team lost a significant player to injury. The Boston Bruins lost David Pastrnak for a minimum of two weeks after he underwent thumb surgery on Feb. 12 after he fell at a team function. The Bruins, who are fighting with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second spot in the Atlantic Division won’t be helped even if its for a few weeks without Pastrnak, who is the team’s leading scorer with 31 goals as well as 66 points, second on the team. The Penguins also took a hit on their blueline when they placed Olli Maatta on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that would sideline him indefinitely. The team was getting back Justin Schultz from injury at the time, but the team was looking forward to getting back a fully healthy defense, which now they won’t have for some time. To make matters worse, the team had recently dealt away Jamie Oleksiak to make room for Schultz, leaving the team with a lack of depth all of the sudden.

Wild Owner Approves Selling: Just hours after Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau guaranteed that the Wild would make the playoffs, Wild owner Craig Leipold announced that he has given general manager Paul Fenton the green light to sell off some of the team’s players in advance of the upcoming trade deadline. With the team dropping four straight and having a 2-5-3 record in their last 10 games, it might be time for Fenton to make his mark on this team after being hired this summer to fix the team’s inability to advance deep into the playoffs. Among the numerous players who could be shipped off include pending unrestricted free agent Eric Staal as well as Charlie Coyle, who still has one more year on his deal. There are also a number of bottom six players who could be moved as well, including Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, Brad Hunt, Matt Bartkowski and Anthony Bitetto.

Philadelphia’s Hart Gets A Mentor: The Philadelphia Flyers finally consummated a rumored trade in which it acquired Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot for Anthony Stolarz. While Edmonton freed themselves some much needed cap room as Talbot was making $4.17MM, the Flyers got themselves what they hope will be a long-term veteran who can mentor their prized rookie Carter Hart for the next few years. Talbot, who was already familiar with Hart before, waived his no-movement clause to come to Philadelphia and made it clear that he was open to signing a new contract before July 1 to remain with the team.

Ottawa Intends To Trade Duchene: The Ottawa Senators have stopped in their attempts to sign Matt Duchene to an extension and have indicated to all teams that they intend to trade the 26-year-old center. According to reports, the Senators have shifted their focus of signing Duchene to making a full effort to locking up Mark Stone to an extension. Stone may have a day or two to make up his mind on whether he is willing to sign an extension or he too, will be made available to the league with the intention of selling them off at the trade deadline. Already there has been rumors that the Nashville Predators, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders have expressed serious interest in acquiring the center with more suitors likely to join in before the upcoming trade deadline on Feb. 25.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Alexis Lafreniere To Stay In CHL For 2019-20

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There has been some speculation over the last few days regarding the future of potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere and where he would play next season. Some believed Lafreniere would seek an opportunity overseas the same way that Auston Matthews did when he played a year in the Swiss NLA prior to his draft, but the young forward has set the record straight. Momentum Hockey Agency, who represent Lafreniere, have released this statement (via Bob McKenzie of TSN):

There have been discussions with certain clubs in Europe in the last few months. When dealing with a young player like Alexis, it’s important to evaluate every option in order to make the best decision for his short and long term career. After a great deal of consideration with the player and his family, the decision was unanimous to remain with the Rimouski Oceanic for the 2019-2020 season.

Lafreniere, who is still just 17 years old, would have had several hurdles to overcome even to be eligible to play overseas. All that will be forgotten now, and he can focus on dominating the QMJHL like he has for the past year and a half. In 107 regular season games with Rimouski, Lafreniere has 74 goals and 167 points to go along with a +88 rating. His presence makes the Oceanic a dangerous playoff matchup and could potentially lead the team to a Memorial Cup berth if they can get through the tough league playoffs.

The 2020 draft is still more than 16 months away, but Lafreniere is the early favorite to go first overall. Already big enough to hold his own against older players, the 6’1″ forward looks as though he will mature even further physically and can already protect the puck extremely well. His skill around the net is already at a high level, and he seems to be able to make decisions and movements quicker than any of his contemporaries. An all-around impact forward, there’s no reason to believe he won’t completely dominate the competition in the CHL next season.

That domination is why some hoped he would pursue an opportunity in a professional league, as there is little left to accomplish in the CHL. Sure, there are team goals that Lafreniere will hope to reach with Rimouski but his development may slow a bit given the lack of competition. Still, teams are salivating at the idea of bringing him into their organization in June 2020 and seeing what heights he can reach offensively.

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